In Islam, you might not know this. But there was a mystic interpretation by some Sufis, that in fact, Abraham mixed his vision from God (it was partially from God) and couldn't distinguish in his vision/dream like state, whether or not God ordered him literally to kill him or not. He saw it that God ordered him, but he was mistaken. Satan made him see it literally, while God wanted him to let go of his earthly attachments to his son. It was meant to be metaphorical, but, they thought God was serious.
One of the most interesting revelations happen is that Isaac which means laughter or God's laughter, was given to Sarah when she despaired, and the Angels told her it meant laughter and it made her laugh.
God didn't let the sacrifice happen, and God is not a deceiver, so the fault is on Abraham, for thinking God was literally wanting to kill his son and his son literally trusting his fathers judgement and interpretation of his vision.
What is the big lesson in this to humans?
Even when you get spiritual visions, even when you think you know, question, perhaps you misinterpreted a revelation words, and even if you think you are sure it means something, it might mean something else.
If a great Prophet like Abraham can get things wrong and misinterpret his dream, by a suggestion from Iblis, and which God wanted really just for him to let go of attachment which is manifested in the sacrifice of the sheep, and it's a great sacrifice to let go of attachment, ready to kill even your son, true, but God wanted him to let go of attachment, not literally kill him....if he can get it wrong, we can be wrong too in how we perceive scriptures.
Re-Assessment is then always needed.
If a great Prophet like Abraham can mislead to kill innocent life, no one is really safe, from us way below his wisdom, intelligence, and insight. We may feel we will never, but in a time of war, we may be mislead and choose the wrong side.
In all this, we must seek refuge in guidance from God. The leaders that are guided by God become a refuge of safety.
Noah also misunderstood God's words before. He thought God promised to save his family in the sense everyone understands family to mean. But his son perished.
So he misunderstood, and began to doubt, and ask God regarding that, saying indeed you are truthful in your promise, so there must be a contradiction. God than advises him saying he is not of your family for his action is other then righteous, meaning what God meant by family was something else, than says, don't ask me regarding what you have no knowledge of saying he seeks refuge from Noah doing that lest become of the ignorant.
God knew Adam and Noah and Abraham would all turn back to guidance, but even them, without God guiding them and admonishing them, would have fell into ignorance.
What is the relevance on an Atheist forum? It's as if Quran among other things and purposes of these verses is saying, don't impose ignorant interpretations on what you don't know to be from God and truly what would be meant by God if God recited the Quran, and then put these paradigms and then reject it.
The interpretation of holy books is no easy subject. There is so many lessons to learn from this. And I can go on and on from hadiths to Quran, and the misguidance of the Muslims, but we are to rely and reflect, and we definitely will conclude things wrong at a certain point.
What matters is you seek clarification, and keeping reflecting and trying to see guidance.
God didn't throw Abraham into hell because he misinterpreted in a very bad manner his dream, neither did Noah perish, but rather, God wishes to guide humans in the paradigm of Quran.
So whatever you assume of Quran, I would give it another chance. Same with other holy books. And try to replace your assumptions with different perceptions and more charitable reasoned interpretations.
One of the most interesting revelations happen is that Isaac which means laughter or God's laughter, was given to Sarah when she despaired, and the Angels told her it meant laughter and it made her laugh.
God didn't let the sacrifice happen, and God is not a deceiver, so the fault is on Abraham, for thinking God was literally wanting to kill his son and his son literally trusting his fathers judgement and interpretation of his vision.
What is the big lesson in this to humans?
Even when you get spiritual visions, even when you think you know, question, perhaps you misinterpreted a revelation words, and even if you think you are sure it means something, it might mean something else.
If a great Prophet like Abraham can get things wrong and misinterpret his dream, by a suggestion from Iblis, and which God wanted really just for him to let go of attachment which is manifested in the sacrifice of the sheep, and it's a great sacrifice to let go of attachment, ready to kill even your son, true, but God wanted him to let go of attachment, not literally kill him....if he can get it wrong, we can be wrong too in how we perceive scriptures.
Re-Assessment is then always needed.
If a great Prophet like Abraham can mislead to kill innocent life, no one is really safe, from us way below his wisdom, intelligence, and insight. We may feel we will never, but in a time of war, we may be mislead and choose the wrong side.
In all this, we must seek refuge in guidance from God. The leaders that are guided by God become a refuge of safety.
Noah also misunderstood God's words before. He thought God promised to save his family in the sense everyone understands family to mean. But his son perished.
So he misunderstood, and began to doubt, and ask God regarding that, saying indeed you are truthful in your promise, so there must be a contradiction. God than advises him saying he is not of your family for his action is other then righteous, meaning what God meant by family was something else, than says, don't ask me regarding what you have no knowledge of saying he seeks refuge from Noah doing that lest become of the ignorant.
God knew Adam and Noah and Abraham would all turn back to guidance, but even them, without God guiding them and admonishing them, would have fell into ignorance.
What is the relevance on an Atheist forum? It's as if Quran among other things and purposes of these verses is saying, don't impose ignorant interpretations on what you don't know to be from God and truly what would be meant by God if God recited the Quran, and then put these paradigms and then reject it.
The interpretation of holy books is no easy subject. There is so many lessons to learn from this. And I can go on and on from hadiths to Quran, and the misguidance of the Muslims, but we are to rely and reflect, and we definitely will conclude things wrong at a certain point.
What matters is you seek clarification, and keeping reflecting and trying to see guidance.
God didn't throw Abraham into hell because he misinterpreted in a very bad manner his dream, neither did Noah perish, but rather, God wishes to guide humans in the paradigm of Quran.
So whatever you assume of Quran, I would give it another chance. Same with other holy books. And try to replace your assumptions with different perceptions and more charitable reasoned interpretations.
